


The Expy

by erintoknow



Series: Aria-Rough Drafts [16]
Category: Fallen Hero Series - Malin Rydén, Fallen Hero: Rebirth (Video Game)
Genre: Depression, F/F, Love Triangle, POV Female Character, POV Second Person, Slow Burn, Trans Character, Trans Female Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-21
Updated: 2019-09-21
Packaged: 2020-10-25 12:21:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,233
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20724122
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/erintoknow/pseuds/erintoknow
Summary: Nightmares again? No problem; take Jane for a round at the dojo. Nothing like a little bit of literally getting out of your head to get some perspective.





	The Expy

Nightmares again.

Strapped to a gurney

your mouth is a font of blood as something that whirrs like a mechanical pencil sharpener – you can’t see, can’t watch but something someone is cutting cutting cutting

Jane shakes her head and slaps her cheeks. Focus. Get your head in the game. Why did the nightmares have to get _worse_ when you stopped the drugs? Felt more real. You had to cling to the idea that this would all be worth it. Being alive will have been worth it if you could cash it in on destroying your torturers.

Possessing people will have been worth it. Stealing will have been worth it. Money. Lives. This body. Lying to the woman that had once been your best friend. It has to be, otherwise why are you here? What good are you otherwise? Why else did you survive?

If you can’t sleep as Ariadne then you can at least make yourself useful as Jane. Practice your forms. Try to empty your broken mind. Your reflection in the mirror. No, not your’s, Jane’s. Countering your every move.

How do you defeat yourself?

Break the mirror?

Usually Jane is a welcome distance from your own body, but something’s bridged the gap today. You can see Jane’s hands shake in the mirror. Her face red, eyes wet.

Goddamnit. Get it under control.

Why is Jane crying?

You shouldn’t feel anything. Jane shouldn’t feel anything.

Just be empty already.

Reuniting with Ortega must have thrown you off worse than you expected.

Fuck.

Grab Jane’s towel from the hook on the wall, Jane sits off on the bench to the side and buries her face in it. Her body is shaking, muffled sobs hitching her chest.

_goddamnit_

“Miss? Are you alright?”

Jane straightens up, her heart pounding. Turns her head to find the source. “I– I’m not sure,” her eyes widen a little. You recognize the woman standing to Jane’s side. _Ortega_??? Jane forces a smile. “Just stress.”

Have you seriously been just missing each other? For how long?

Seriously, what are the odds? Of all the dojos and gyms in the city, she chose this one?

Jane tilts her head, “I’ve never seen you around before. Are you a member or just visiting?” Jane towels her face dry to hide her expression, try to work an honest smile on. Jane isn’t you, she has her own body language but– this is Ortega. You already know her.

Or you thought you did. Once, anyway.

“I’m a member,” she shakes her head, an uneasy smile on her face. “Actually, I thought you might be someone else at first.” She laughs, rubbing the back of her neck. “You look more than a little bit like a friend of mine.”

Jane furrows her brow. “…thank you…?”

“Sorry, I know that sounds weird.” She laughs again, “This is why I come here in the mornings. Coffee doesn’t cut it anymore.”

Jane purses her lips, you struggle to keep her heart calm. “That’s it then. I’m not usually here so early. I just… needed to get some frustration out.” Jane tilts her head, a tiny shrug of the shoulders. “Bad night. You know how it is.”

Ortega’s still smiling at Jane, and you can feel her face heating up. It’s unnerving. “Let’s hope that bad night comes with a silver lining then.” _Another_ laugh. “Or maybe that’s just clouds?”

Is…

Is Ortega trying to flirt with Jane?

Is Ortega interested in women!? That can’t be right, can it? But–

She’s flirting Jane. Okay, assume that’s correct. Jane who apparently looks like a friend of Ortega’s. Who? It’s not like you know Ortega’s social life anymore. But... Jane looks like you. Jane looks like Ortega’s friend... Who the fuck is Ortega’s friend that looks like you?

The way she’s looking at Jane right now... did she ever look at you like that? No. No way. You’re memory’s not the best, but you’d remember something like that wouldn’t you? It’s making Jane’s heart race.

Alright, how’re we going to play this?

Jane puts the towel down, a smile creeping up her face. “You know, you could have tried being smooth with something like ‘even the darkest night ends with dawn.’” Jane reaches down and grabs her water bottle, stretching out her back. Jane pops the sports cap and arches her eyebrows at Ortega as she takes a long swig of water.

It takes Ortega a second to think up a response. “Yeah, that would have been a good line.” She’s _still smiling_. “I’m just not at my best right now, got a lot on my mind.”

Jane taps the cap closed again and shifts her legs so she’s facing towards Ortega on the bench. “Oh?”

Ortega shakes her head. “It’s nothing.”

“Uh-huh.” Jane smirks, leans back on the bench as she looks up at Ortega. “You look way too tense for first thing in the morning.”

Ortega’s smile turns brittle and she sits down on the bench with Jane. You’d swear Jane’s heart leaps into her throat as Ortega’s knee accidentally brushes Jane’s.

“I really am, huh?” Ortega laughs. She folds her hands on her lap, doesn’t quite look at Jane. “It’s just, well…” she steals a glance at you Jane, “a friend of mine’s in some trouble. I’m just trying to figure out how I can fix things.” Her smile fades.

Argent then. It must bother her that there’s nothing she can do to address the problem. It’s not often the famous Charge can’t just hero her way to a solution.

Jane leans in towards her, “You really care about your friend, huh?” She smirks.

Ortega laughs, “What? You don’t have friends who'd do the same?”

Huffs, looks away, the smile on Jane’s face is gone. “I work too much for that kind of thing.”

“That’s sad.” Ortega sounds like she actually means it, amazing. “It can be nice to fight someone who can’t mirror every move you make.”

Jane laughs, her face threatening a smile. You shouldn’t have laughed at that. It wasn’t even that funny. “Reflections aren’t all they’re cracked up to be I guess.”

God, it hurts to be able to talk like this with Ortega. You’ve missed her. Maybe she betrayed you, maybe she abandoned you. Maybe none of that is true. Maybe something even worse is. But right now she’s sitting next to Jane, and she’s showing interest, and Jane’s showing interest back, and fuck this hurts. Jane’s so much prettier than you are. Objectively confirmed.

Ortega gives Jane a look, and stands up offering a hand back down to you, “You want a sparring buddy?”

Jane could be what you never could. Maybe… maybe you could get your inside scope on the Rangers through Jane instead? Cut contact with Ortega as Ariadne, cultivate… whatever this is with her and Jane instead. That would be monumentally safer at any rate.

Jane puts the towel down on the bench, takes her hand, lets her pull Jane to her feet. “If you think you can keep up.”

“You don’t need to worry about me,” there’s that smug grin you know so well. “I’m Ortega, by the way, Julia Ortega.”

You return her grin with a cocky one of your own. “Jane. Now, you ready to get your ass kicked old lady?”

She blinks in surprise as she lets go of your hand. “Hey, I’m not old!”


End file.
